The Lost Zodiac Legend
by Amaranthine Tsukuyomi
Summary: Everyone's familiar with the legend of how the cat was left out because he was tricked by the rat. This tells of another part that isn't as widely known. EDITED
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any Fruit's Basket characters, the only one that I truly own is Kiora Kitsunare. I give credit to Natsuki Takaya for making such a great manga/anime.

In the old Chinese Zodiac legend, the cat was tricked by the rat and hated him forever. However, there's another part to the story that isn't as widely known as everyone thought. I'm here to tell you the true story of the Zodiac.

It was a bright, sunny day as a young girl walked down the street. The wind was blowing her black hair as the silver tips reflected the light. Her icy-blue eyes were clouded slightly as she tried to keep herself from passing out. She had run away from home after her father beat her and left cuts and bruises on her arms and neck. Hoping that Hatori was home, she headed towards the main Sohma house. Reaching the gates, she sighed nervously as she entered, for it had been years since she had seen anyone from the Zodiac. Looking around, she knocked on Hatori's door and waited for an answer.

Hatori looked up as he heard someone knocking on his door. He stood, thinking that it was Shigure coming to bug him again. As he slid the door back, he blinked a couple times as he stared at the girl standing outside. "Um, can I help you?" he asked, thinking that she had gotten lost.

She looked close to fainting when he had asked her the question. "Are you Hatori? I need help, please."

He sighed and stood back, letting her in. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

Sitting on the couch, she looked at him and smiled slightly. "It's been quite some time since I've been here, so I can't expect you to remember me. I'm Kiora."

Hatori smiled as he remembered and went to get his medical bag. "I didn't mean to forget. So was it your father again?"

Nodding, she closed her eyes and leaned back. "I think he went too far this time. I don't want to go back to my house."

He knelt in front of her and started wrapping her arms. "I'll call Shigure and see if he'll take you in for the time being. I think Kyo would be glad to see you after 10 years."

Smiling as he finished bandaging her arms, she curled up and drifted to sleep. Hatori got up and grabbing the phone, dialed Shigure's number and waited for an answer.

At Shigure's House

The phone started ringing as Tohru started getting dinner ready. "Can someone get the phone, please?" she called, trying to get the miso soup ready.

Kyo grumbled before standing and answering it. "Hello?"

Hatori's voice came through on the line. "Kyo? Is Shigure there?"

"No, he ran off again, much to the annoyance of his editor."

"That's just great. I wanted to ask him if he could watch over someone for me. She doesn't want to go home, in case her father tries to kill her."

"There's a girl at your house? What's her name?"

"Kiora."

Kyo went silent for a few minutes. "I'll be right over." Hanging up, he walked down the hallway and out the door, stopping to tell Tohru that he'd be a little late. Heading off to Hatori's house, he couldn't help but wonder if Kiora was really there. 'It's been 10 years since her family forced her to leave. I wonder if they forced her to change her last name as well.' Arriving at the house, he sighed as he opened the door and looked at Hatori. "Where is she?"

Hatori looked up from a book he was reading and pointed towards the couch. "Over there," he said before going back to his book.

Walking to the couch, he smiled slightly at the sleeping form of Kiora. 'At least she's back.' He looked at her arms and noticed the bandages on them. He placed a hand on her head and lightly ruffled her hair. "Hey, wake up," he whispered.

Kiora shifted slightly and opened her eyes, looking up at Kyo as she smiled. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago. Hatori called and I came to get you. So let's get going. Dinner ready at Shigure's and I'm hungry."

Sitting up, she stretched and stood up. "You sure Shigure doesn't mind me there?"

"If he knew that you'd be coming, he'd be jumping for joy," he said as he headed out the door.

Bowing slightly to Hatori, she followed Kyo back to Shigure's house. Arriving at the house, Kyo walked in and looked at Tohru. "I'm back, and I brought someone with me."

Tohru smiled and looked at Kiora, who was standing behind Kyo looking nervous. "Hello, I'm Tohru Honda. What's your name?"

Kiora blinked a couple times and smiled back. "Kiora Kitsunare. Pleased to meet you."

Kyo sighed and sat down. 'I thought as much. They did change her last name,' he thought as Yuki walked into the room. He looked surprised to see Kiora standing there. "Kiora? What are you doing here?"

"I ran away from home. Father tried to kill me this time. I can't go back there."

"Well, you're welcome to stay here for the time." Shigure had walked in and was standing behind Kiora smiling. "We always like to have you here."

Kyo nodded, looking up at Kiora and smiling. "Besides, it's been ten years since I've had a fight with you, sis."

Please be nice and R&R. This is my first fic and I'd like to know if there's anyway that I can make it better.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, only Kiora Kitsunare.

Tohru looked from Kyo to Kiora. "Sister? I didn't know you had a sister, Kyo-kun."

Kiora shook her head, laughing a little. "We're not really related. We just grew up together. Although we do treat each other with the same respect that siblings do."

Yuki smiled as he started eating. "And they fight like siblings too. Though Kiora can beat Kyo in a fight any day without trying.

Kyo glared at Yuki. "Damn rat! I'll kill you for saying that!" He jumped up and smirked. "Today's the day you die!"

Sighing, Kiora did a roundhouse kick against the side of her brother's head, sending him flying through the wall. "Do not pick fights with Yuki while he's eating."

Tohru gasped and rushed over to Kyo. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

Kyo pulled himself up and looked at Kiora. "That was a pretty sneaky thing you did. I never knew that you were that strong."

She chuckled softly. "I had to be. It was the only way to fend off my father when he was in one of his drunken rages." She sat down and started eating, ignoring the mutterings of her brother. "Kyo, if you really want to beat Yuki, you have to beat me first."

Shigure smiled as he sat down on Kiora's left. "That'll take forever for him to beat you. But I guess you knew that."

Glaring at Shigure, Kyo joined the others at the table and Tohru followed him. "So, if you're Kyo's "sister", then are you a member of the Zodiac too?"

Kiora nearly choked as she looked at Tohru. "I am cursed with a vengeful spirit like them, but I'm not a true member."

Tohru thought for a minute then she smiled. "Then you're trying to get into the Zodiac like Kyo, right?"

Shaking her head, Kiora lowered her gaze. "There's no place for my animal anywhere, so I'm not even trying. Some say that mine has no place for it anyway."

"What animal are you, then?"

"She's a silly little fox that shouldn't have run away from home." A man with black hair and hateful eyes was standing behind Kiora, glaring down at his daughter.

"What a surprise that you even care for me, dad. I'm even more surprised that you got out of bed to come find me."

"You're coming home right now." He reached down to grab the back of her shirt, but Kiora spun quickly around and swept his feet from under him.

"I'm not going back. I don't belong there and you don't deserve me anyway. So leave me alone!" She knelt over him with a knife pressed to his throat. "I suggest you leave, before _she_ decides to show."

Her father got up nodding and turned towards the door. "Fine, but don't say that I don't care. I really do." With that he left, leaving Kiora standing there trying to control her nerves.

Kyo got up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ignore him. He's nothing but a bully."

"You're right. I shouldn't let him get me all riled up."

Tohru laughed and looked at Kiora. "So you're a fox? I think that's pretty interesting. But I never heard of a fox in the legend."

"That's because that part never made it in the actual legend," Kiora said as she sat back down at the table.

Well, here's the second chapter. I hope you like it and please R&R.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I don't own any Fruits Basket characters. I only own Kiora Kitsunare._

Tohru looked surprised by what Kiora said. "There's another part to the legend? One that includes the fox? Can you tell me please?"

Kiora smiled and nodded slightly. "Sure. After the rat tricked the cat, the fox showed up looking rather upset. 'What's wrong?' asked the cat as he noticed the fox looking distressed. The fox shook her head sadly. 'You don't get it? The rat lied to you just now. I'm sad because you didn't realize it right away.' The cat immediately was furious and wanted to find the rat to kill him. The fox, being both cautious and understanding, placed a paw on the cat's shoulder and shook her head. 'Don't do anything as reckless as that. It'll only cause trouble for everyone.' The cat thought about what the fox had said for some time. Finally, he asked, 'If I was the one who was tricked, then why did you look like you did?' She simply smiled and replied, 'Because I felt sorry for not stopping him from doing that to you.' The fox playfully pawed his ear as he attacked her tail with a paw. He looked at the fox and said, 'I'll get that rat one of these days. I know it.' The fox laughed softly. 'When and if you do, I'm staying out of it. I don't want to get mixed up in any fighting between you two.' The cat laughed and the two spent the day arguing; him trying to get her to help, and her telling him that she would have no part in anything."

Yuki smiled as he put his bowl of rice down. "And it seems you kept your promise as the fox."

"Of course. I really don't like fighting unless it's to defend myself," Kiora said as she got up. She walked out into the yard and looked up at the sky, lost in thought.

Tohru started getting up to follow but Yuki stopped her. "She'll be fine Miss Honda. She's been through a lot today."

Kyo leaned on the table as he watched his sister. "This wasn't the first time her father tried to make her go home. And I have a feeling that it won't be the last either."

Tohru glanced at Kiora and remembered something. "Kiora said that if her dad didn't leave, then _she_ would show. What was she referring to exactly?"

Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure stared at each other then to Tohru. "She has an anger problem like me," Kyo said. "Sometimes she snaps without warning and is harder to deal with. She has a black side like Haru, though hers is worse."

"Yeah, we call her black side Mei, meaning 'dark'. You can always tell when Mei shows by her eyes. They're an amethyst color. No one really knows when Mei started showing up, but I think it was during her childhood." Shigure added.

"I think she has an older brother. His name's Aroik. He's also cursed with an animal spirit, the wolf. They don't get along and he acts as though he's an only child. If anyone mentions Kiora, he yells at them and says that she's not his sister," Yuki said with a sigh.

They heard a "poof" from outside and Kyo smiled. "Would you like to meet the fox, Tohru?" A black fox with silver tipped ears, tail, and paws walked in and sat on Kyo's lap, glancing nervously at Tohru with ice-blue eyes. Noticing that Tohru wouldn't harm her, she curled up and drifted to sleep as Kyo placed a hand on her head.

Tohru gasped softly at the sleeping fox. "She's so cute. I love her fur."

Kiora's ears twitched slightly in her sleep as they heard the door bell. Tohru got up and answered the door. "Hana-chan! Uo-chan! What are you doing here?"

"We came to check up on you," Hanajima said.

The guys sweat dropped as they looked at Kiora sleeping on Kyo's lap.

Thanks to those that like the story so far. I'm working on chapters as fast as I can, so please be patient. A special thanks to my friend Twilight Hunter for suggesting a wolf in the fic, since wolves and foxes don't get along that well. Anyway, how are the guys going to keep Kiora hidden from Hanajima and Uotani? The answer to that is in Chapter 4!


	4. Chapter 4

Amaranthine: Sigh... I do not own anyone other than Kiora.

Kiora: And what's wrong with that?

Amaranthine: Nothing, I just hate doing the disclaimer all the time.

Kiora: Then let someone else do it next time.

Amaranthine: That's a good idea. To those that have reviewed, thanks. And I'm also very sorry for not updating my story sooner. I've been working my butt off like there's no tomorrow. But I have three chapters to add this time! So, without further ado, on with the story!

* * *

Kyo picked up Kiora and stood. "I'll take her up to my room and hide her there." He walked up the stairs as Hanajima, Uotani, and Tohru entered the room.

"Where's anger-management boy?" Uotani asked, noticing that Kyo was gone.

"I heard that, damn Yankee!" Kyo yelled as he walked down the stairs and glared at Uotani.

Tohru looked around but couldn't find Kiora. "Um, Kyo-kun. Where's Kit-chan?"

Yuki smiled as he stood. "Don't worry about it. Kyo took her to his room so she could sleep without being disturbed."

"Who's Kit-chan, Tohru-kun?" Hanajima asked.

"She's my sister. Her name's actually Kiora," Kyo said as he sat down.

"You have a sister?! How come you never mentioned her before, orangey?" Uotani asked with a smile.

"Because I haven't seen her in 10 years," he hissed at her.

In the silence that followed, everyone heard the shower going. "I think we woke Kiora up." Yuki said as he glanced at the ceiling.

The water stopped and they heard the door open. "Tohru! Are my clothes dry yet?" Kiora called down.

"Just a minute! I'll check." Tohru stepped out into the yard and grabbed Kiora's clothes. As she walked back in, she yelled,"Yeah they are! I'll have someone bring them up."

Kyo stood and took the clothes from Tohru. "I'll take them to her," he said as he climbed the stairs. A few minutes later, he came back down followed by Kiora, who was drying her hair with a towel. "There was a downpour earlier today and my clothes got soaked," she explained when she saw the blank stares from Hanajima and Uotani.

Hanajima looked at Kiora's black clothes and smiled. "Your favorite colors?" she asked, for the shirt had a silver fox on it and the pants had silver flames up the front and sides.

Kiora returned the smile and nodded. "That, and my favorite animal is the fox and I can get out of control like fire."

The guys smiled at the hidden meaning of the designs, but Uotani didn't notice. "Whatever, so will you be living here?"

Kiora draped the towel over her shoulders and smiled again. "Yeah, since I really don't want to go back to my own home."

Uotani nodded and looked at Hanajima. "Then she'll be fine here."

Hanajima nodded back in agreement. "Kiora is emitting good waves and is quite strong. She can defend Tohru-kun if there is any trouble here."

They turned to leave then Uotani stopped and looked back at Kiora. "You know, you would've made a great gang member if you wanted to."

Kiora's eyes changed to amethyst, but Uotani was already gone with Hanajima.

Kyo became tense when he looked at Kiora's eyes. "Mei, what are you doing?" he whispered.

Kiora, or Mei now, growled softly. "What did she mean by me being a gang member? Everyone knows I don't act like that."

Tohru walked over and stood in front of Mei. "Kit-chan? Are you okay?" she asked, concern showing in her eyes.

Mei's eyes slowly changed back to the familiar ice-blue color and smiled at Tohru. "I'm fine now, but thanks for worrying."

Suddenly the doorbell rang for the second time that day. Tohru headed for the door, but Kiora stopped her and went to answer it. When she opened the door, her eyes shone with anger. "You..."she growled.

* * *

Who's at the door? Why is Kiora angry? The answer to that is in Chapter 5!


	5. Chapter 5

Kiora: Since Amaranthine is tired of disclaimers; I've decided to do them this time.

Aroik: How come you get to?

Kiora: Because I'm the one that's in every chapter. You appear later.

Aroik: I appear in this chapter. Did you forget?

Kiora: Nope, I just don't like you.

Aroik: That was mean……

Kiora: Anyway, read on!

* * *

Kiora looked up at her brother standing in the doorway. "What do you want?" she hissed.

Aroik smirked and forced his way in. "Father told me that you were here and wanted me to bring you home, despite that fact that I hate you." He looked at Tohru and raised an eyebrow. "Who's the girl?" He made his way over, and laughed when Kiora managed to get between them.

"You will not take another step towards her," she growled, glaring daggers at Aroik.

"And if I do?" he asked, highly amused at his sister.

"I'll be forced to kill you." she replied, shifting into a defensive stance.

He took another step, and jumped to the side as she tried to kick him. He grabbed Tohru and looked closer at her. "So you're the girl that knows our secret. Interesting." Smiling at his sister, he hugged Tohru, causing him to change into a gray wolf. He snarled at Kiora, and then charged towards her.

Kiora drew her dagger and swiped at him with it, forcing him to back up. Her eyes changed to amethyst again and managed to place a kick in the wolf's side, sending him out into the yard, as she following him.

Just then, Kiora's, Kyo's and Yuki's sensei walked through the door and saw Kiora fighting. "What's going on? Can someone explain to me why there's a wolf here?"

Yuki looked at his sensei and smiled. "The wolf is Kiora's brother. She's fighting him because he moved towards Miss Honda, even though she told him not to."

He nodded and turned towards the yard. "I see. Kiora, come here."

She jumped back and looked at him. "What is it sensei?" she asked, keeping an eye on her brother.

"Would you like some help fighting him? I could help you out." He smiled kindly, pointing to her necklace.

"You want me to take off my necklace as a way to even the playing field, right? Okay, if you think that will help." She threw the dagger on the ground and removed the silver fox necklace from around her neck. She handed it to her sensei and charged towards her brother, changing into a pure black fox the same size as her brother, in the process. She grabbed him around the throat with enough force that knocked him to his knees. Pinning him to the ground, she glared at Aroik with blood-red eyes. "Don't ever come here again or I will kill you without hesitation." Letting him up, she walked back to her sensei and sat at his feet.

Aroik got up and glared at Kiora. "I don't think mom would like that if you killed me." He smirked when he saw the hatred in his sister's eyes. He started to charge when he heard someone shout.

"Stop fighting you two!"

Kiora and Aroik looked towards the doorway and saw their parents. Their mother ran over to Aroik and put her arms around his neck as she looked at Kiora. "Don't you ever hurt him again, you mutt!"

Kiora looked like she had just been struck. Her sensei put his arm around her, causing her to change to a smaller version of her form. He then picked her up and held her close. "You needn't worry about her. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again."

"Let's hope it doesn't." Her mother turned to her brother and smiled sweetly. "We'd better go." She picked up Aroik, who had changed into a wolf pup, and walked out the door without even looking at Kiora. Tohru ran over and held the little fox as Kyo picked up the dagger. "It's a good thing nobody took this. That would have been worse."

Yuki nodded as he stood by their sensei. "There'd be no telling what she would do if someone took that from her." He looked at Kiora, who had fallen asleep in Tohru's arms. "Miss Honda, I think we'd better get her inside."

Tohru nodded, looking at Kiora sadly as they headed inside. "Why do her parents hate her so much?"

Kyo shook his head as he sighed. "Since Aroik was born first, they have been overly protective towards him. Then when Kiora was born, they just ignored her completely."

Their sensei followed behind them. "As soon as she was old enough to walk, she came to me and I took care of her along with Kyo."

Yuki smiled as he remembered when he first saw her. "It surprised me at first, seeing her training with Kyo and Sensei. Then after a while, I realized that she wasn't that bad of a person and got Haru to train with all of us."

Tohru tried to hide a yawn, but failed as Kyo and Yuki saw it. "I think we'd better get to bed. We had quite a day today and have school in the morning," Yuki said as he headed up the stairs to his room.

Muttering a "Good night," to everyone, Tohru took Kiora to her room and placed her in a small bed in a corner that was there, placing her clothes next to her. Changing into her pj's, Tohru looked once more at the sleeping fox before climbing into bed, thinking about what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

What exactly will tomorrow bring? Well, you'll just have to read the next chapter to find out, since Kiora gets to go to school with the rest of them.


	6. Chapter 6

Kiora: Alright! Chapter 6 already! I can't believe we got this far!

Kyo: Calm down. We still have a long way to go.

Kiora: Thanks…. You're a major buzz-kill.

Yuki: (Salutes) Major Buzz-kill.

Kiora Kyo: (Looks at him with a strange look on their faces)

Yuki: (Is unfazed by the looks) Miss Tsukuyomi doesn't own any Fruits Basket characters, only Kiora Kitsunare. Read on!

* * *

The next morning, everyone in the house was still sleeping. Kiora had been the first one up, waking up an hour before everyone else. Heading out to the backyard, she stood there for some time. She still couldn't shake the name her mother called her, and it was making her feel depressed. When she heard the rest of the household waking up, she headed back inside and started getting breakfast ready.

Kyo was the first one to come down, scratching his head. He was surprised to see Kiora up so early. "Hey sis. What are you doing?" he asked as he sat down at the table.

She smiled slightly at Kyo. "Making breakfast for a change. I couldn't sleep."

Nodding, he looked out the window. "The incident from yesterday, right?"

Kiora nodded as she finished cooking. "I can't seem to shake it. It's as if there's a weight holding me down." She started putting the food on the table as Tohru and Yuki came down the stairs. "Breakfast's ready," Kiora said as they sat down.

Tohru looked ashamed as she started eating. "I didn't mean for you to make it." Looking up at Kiora, she was relieved to see a smile.

"Don't worry about it. I was up early and decided to give you a break for once." Kiora ate her own portion and finished before the others.

Yuki smiled at a thought that came to him. "Kiora, would you like to come to school with us?"

Kyo glared at Yuki. "What? You want her to go so she can create chaos in the school? I like it."

Kiora smiled at her own image of the school in flames and her laughing crazily. "That does sound like fun. Maybe I can get Hatsu in on the action. When do we leave?"

Tohru smiled and looked at the clock. The time it showed wiped the smile right off her face. "Right now!" Everybody got up and scrambled to get everything ready before high-tailing it to school. They made it there with a few minutes to spare, thanks to a shortcut that Kiora knew. She was waiting outside the classroom while the others went in to inform the teacher about her.

The teacher looked at the door that was separating Kiora from the room then back to Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru. "I'm to believe that there's a cousin of you Sohma boys outside visiting here to see if she'd like to go to school here."

Yuki nodded. "Yes, sir. She's been living with us for a while and needs to get a proper education."

Sighing, he looked at door again. "What's her name? I shall remind you now that she's going to be following you today. So she's your responsibility."

Kyo smiled. "Kiora Kitsunare. I'll let you know that she's a little different than the rest of the kids here." He headed to the door and opened it slightly as he whispered to her. "You can come in now."

As she walked into the class, the little conversations that were going on suddenly stopped. Everyone was looking at the new arrival with a look of awe from the guys and a look of jealousy from the girls. Nobody believed what he or she was seeing. The teacher walked to the front of his desk to stand next to Kiora. "Class, allow me to introduce a visitor to our school. Her name's Kiora Kitsunare. She's a cousin of Kyo's and Yuki's." He turned to Kiora. "Why don't you tell the students a little about yourself?"

Kiora's eyes captivated everyone except Kyo, Yuki, Tohru, Uotani, and Hanajima. "Certainly. I'm excellent at hand-to-hand combat and if anyone pisses me off even a little, they will regret it." She went and sat down by Kyo as everyone tried to figure out if what she had said was a joke or not.

The rest of the day almost went without a single problem. Towards the end of the day, Kyo, Yuki, Tohru, and Kiora were talking to Hatsuharu and Momiji.

"It's good to see you again Kitsuko," Haru said, calling her by her nickname. "Have you gotten into any fights while you've been gone?"

Laughing, she shook her head. "Only little skirmishes. But I still won all the same."

Haru smiled and put her in a friendly headlock, messing up her hair slightly. "Well that's good to hear. I'd be upset if you lost a match." He let her go as the student body president approached them.

"Well, what do we have here?" he asked, looking at Kiora. "Yet another strange haired person. Your eyes aren't even normal." He smiled, knowing that it was going to be hard for her to explain.

Kiora simply smiled and pulled out her birth certificate. "I believe this will clear things up for you. As you can plainly see, my hair and eyes are the natural color."

The president grabbed the certificate and looked at it. He growled knowing that he couldn't call her a liar. "Fine, I'll let it slide. But if you plan on going here, you have to wear the uniform that the girls wear."

Raising an eyebrow, Kiora looked at Tohru's outfit then back to the president. "We'll just see about that." She smirked at the president, who handed back the certificate and walked off rather fast.

Yuki smiled at the reaction that she had invoked in the president. "Nice work. Now let's go before you get us all in trouble."

They all headed home when the bell rang, saying goodbye to Haru and Momiji along the way. Once they got inside, Kiora collapsed at the table. "That was a lot of fun. I think I will go to school there with you guys.

Tohru smiled. "Thanks. Knowing that there's another person there to keep Akito away from me makes me glad."

"No problem. I mean, I live to fight," Kiora replied as she stared at the ceiling.

Later that night, when everyone was getting ready for bed, Kiora had a puzzling thought. 'Why would Akito be after Tohru? That doesn't make any sense; unless there's something about her that he's trying to stop…Wondering about it won't get me anywhere.' She crawled into her little bed and fell asleep, trying to solve the many questions that she had.

* * *

Well, there you all go. Chapter 6 is finished. If you have any ideas on how Kiora's going to get out of wearing a skirt to school, let me know. I might even use a few of them in the next chapter! So review to keep Kiora from wearing a skirt!


	7. Chapter 7

Kiora: Sorry that it's taking so long to get the story updated. Amaranthine has been busy with school and dealing with the fact that she's grounded from the internet.

Yuki: But don't worry. If anyone can figure out a way to get the story updated and posted on the internet, it's Miss Tsukuyomi.

Kyo: Whatever. I don't think that anyone cares about her anymore.

Amaranthine: What was that?! (Flaming death glare of doom)

Kyo: (Sweat drops) I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! (Looks at Kiora) Now I know where you get your anger from…

Kiora: Yeah, I get that a lot. Anyway, Amaranthine doesn't own anybody but me, although she's like to own Kyo.

Amaranthine: It's only wishful thinking. On to the story!

* * *

Kiora was the first one up again in the morning, despite the fact that she didn't get to sleep till real late. She started getting breakfast ready as Yuki and Tohru came down followed by Kyo a few minutes later.

Tohru smiled kindly as the three sat at the table. "I don't want you to make breakfast every morning Kit-chan."

Kiora smiled back and shrugged as she set the food on the table. "It's not a problem. I'm an early riser anyway."

Kyo smirked when he looked at the outfit Kiora was wearing. "Are you planning to go to school wearing that?"

Laughing, she nodded as she brushed her hands on her pants. She had on a black shirt, black pants and a black choker with a silver fox charm on it. Her eyes looked eerily calm under a light lavender eye shadow while she had a splash of color on her cheeks and lips. "Of course I am. If there's anything I'm against, it's being forced to wear something that I don't want to." Pulling her hair back into a loose pony tail, she held it in place with a silver ribbon before clipping a couple of silver bracelets to her wrists.

Shigure walked in and stopped in his tracks when he saw Kiora. "You're going to knock them all dead, especially that student body president."

The others nodded their approval as they got ready for school. Making their way, they ran into Haru and Momiji. Haru smiled at Kiora's fashion statement. "It's great to see that black is still in style. Only you can pull off this look Kitsuko."

Smiling, Kiora lightly punched him on the arm. "Thanks. If that student pres tries to give me any trouble, you're going to help me with him, right?"

"Of course. I'd never leave you stranded in your hour of need." Haru said as he punched her back, knowing that she would do the same for him any day.

The gang arrived at school a few minutes later. Walking through the gates, Kiora stopped and looked around, trying to shake off a feeling. Kyo noticed and looked at her. "What's wrong sis? Something there?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what it is. It's making me very uneasy." Shaking her head, she started following the others.

Inside, they ran into the student president again. He was glaring at Kiora's outfit, while the girls that were with him looked at her nervously. "Didn't I say you had to wear the approved uniform that we have? It seems that you can't follow simple instructions."

Kiora raised her eyebrow, causing the girls to back up a bit. "Is that so? Well, I hate to disappoint you but I'm just not comfortable wearing something like that in such a public place." She took a couple steps towards him as she stared directly into his eyes. "Now what are you going to do? Everyone here knows that I'd win in a fight hands down and I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty this early in the morning. So what's it going to be? Are you going to force me to change, or will I be allowed to wear whatever I want here?"

The student president looked at the others before looking at Kiora, fighting the urge to turn and run away. "F-fine. You can wear anything you want. I don't want to risk being placed in the hospital by someone like you." He turned and walked off, visibly glad to get away from her.

Haru placed a hand on her shoulder and chuckled. "Well, that was interesting. Looks like you didn't need my help after all."

The day went along smoothly. The students stopped and stared at Kiora wherever she went, but once she glared at them, they looked the other way.

Towards the end of the day, however, Kiora got that uneasy feeling again. Stopping by the gate before the bell rang, she looked around. 'I know that someone is there…I just can't see them….' she thought to herself. Suddenly, she heard something behind her and she whirled around. Gasping, she looked straight into the eyes of the last person she'd expect to see anywhere.

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Who's the mystery person? Who likes the independent styles of Kiora? What's going to happen next? You decide on who it should be! Read and review please. Any ideas that I think are good will be used in the next chapter. Any flames will be used to make hot chocolate for me and the person or people whose ideas I use.


	8. Chapter 8

Amaranthine: Sorry for the long wait. I had to take care of a few things concerning school. I'll be graduating tomorrow, if anyone wanted to know.

Kyo: No one does, so get on with the story before a certain someone makes good on their promise!

Amaranthine: Right! Well, since no one else gave me any ideas, Mercyfyre gets to have her ideas used in this chapter. Enjoy the hot chocolate! I don't own anyone except Kiora. Now onto the next chapter!

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"Akito..." Kiora breathed, unable to believe her eyes. "My dear little fox," Akito replied. "It seems you have come back from the dead. What a pleasant surprise. But why you haven't stopped by to see me has me questioning your loyalty to me."

Finding her voice, Kiora shook her head. "I apologize for that, for I've only just come back. I was planning to see you. Please do not think I was being disrespectful to you."

Akito laughed softly as he stroked Kiora's hair, forcing her to try not to flinch. "I wouldn't think of it. Now, I shall leave you. Do come and see me sometime. We have so much to talk about." With that, Akito left as Kiora breathed a sigh of relief. Going to fing the others, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of punishment she would have to endure if she went to see Akito.

As the end of the day approached, Kiora started to feel the uneasiness leave her. 'It must have been Akito all along,' she thought when the final bell rang. Heading home, she thought about telling the others about her run in with Akito. Deciding on it, she stopped the rest of the group.

"Kit-chan, what's wrong?" Tohru asked, wondering if there was something that was bugging her friend.

"I had a visit from Akito today," she replied, looking down at the ground. "He wanted me to visit him sometime."

Kyo growled and punched a nearby tree. "What gives Akito the right to tell Kiora when to come?"

Yuki shook his head. "Maybe it's because he always wants to know where everyone is at all times."

"Whatever the reason, I'm not going. I hate going to the Main House," Kiora said, ending the conversation by starting to walk towards the house again.

Later, as everyone was getting ready for bed, Kiora pulled Kyo aside. "Want to help me piss off the Student Body President, brother?"

Raising an eyebrow, Kyo leaned against the wall. "What did you have in mind, exactly?"

She knew she had him interested. "I was thinking about wearing a boy's uniform to school tomorrow. So, how about it?"

Kyo thought about it and smirked. "Sounds like a plan. I'll let you borrow a spare one of mine." He went up to his room and grabbed the clothes for her. "I'm sure he'll throw a major fit about it when he sees you," he said as he handed them to her.

"Does it look like I care?" she asked with a smirk as she headed to bed.

The next morning, the group ran into Haru and Momiji in the schoolyard. Hatsu took one look at Kiora's outfit and started laughing. "That'll get you noticed by the pres."

"That's what I was counting on Haru," Kiora replied as she smiled.

"What is going on?! What is she wearing?!" The Student President had seen them and stormed over as he glared at Kiora.

"You told her she had to wear a uniform if she was to go to school here," Yuki responded, acting as if there wasn't anything wrong.

"I meant she had to wear a GIRL'S uniform!" he yelled.

"Look at it this way. Momiji likes wearing girlish clothing. Oh, no offense Mij," Kiora quickly added.

"None taken," Momiji said with a smile.

"And I enjoy wearing more boyish clothes. So in a way, it all works out," she concluded.

The Student President thought about it for a while. Then, sighing, he nodded. "I guess she is wearing the appropriate attire." As he walked off, Momiji cheered and hugged Kiora. "YAY! Kiora's going to stay!" He let go of her and took a good look at Kiora's borrowed uniform. "It doesn't look that bad on you. I'm glad you convinced the President to let you wear it."

Kiora gave Momiji a sisterly smile. "It wasn't that difficult. Now, I think we better head to class before we all get in trouble. As they headed inside, Kiora thought she saw someone standing by a tree, but when she looked over, the person was gone. Not letting bother her, she followed the others to class. Just before she walked into the room, she stopped. "I thought that was you I saw," she said without turning around.

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Who is she talking to? What will the day bring? Will her secret be accidentally exposed? Why am I asking all these questions?! Please review and give me some ideas. The best ones will be used in the next chapter and the reviewer who gave me the idea(s) will get iced tea! Any flames will be used to make the iced tea for the winner. Until next time, jamatta!


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